Monoprice Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certified Ultra Subwoofers

So what’s better than one Monolith by Monoprice subwoofer? Obviously, it’s TWO Monolith by Monoprice subwoofers in the same box! Monoprice has announced the M-210 10” and M-212 12” dual-driver THX-Certified Ultra Monolith subwoofers. Boy, that’s a mouthful!

Monoprice is quickly becoming a disrupter in the audio world. They have been releasing new subwoofers and other AV products in rapid-fire fashion and have yet to have a misfire! But even more baffling is the level of performance you get for such budget-friendly prices. The Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certified Ultra subwoofers look like they will follow this same trend. 

These subs are designed for rooms up to 3000 cubic feet and for those who need a lot of output in a more compact form factor. Well, about as compact as capable subs can get. The Monoprice Monolith M-210 and M-212 are priced at $1300 and $1800, respectively. But are these subwoofers worth your hard-earned cash? Let’s discuss! 

The Looks 

Monoprice follows its winning formula with the new Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certified Ultra subwoofers. Simple black finished boxes with angled corners and tastefully embossed dual drivers are enough for me. A large slot port sits at the bottom, and they get finished with a basic grill secured with pegs. There is a reason that Monoprice uses the name Monolith because these are imposing brutes! 

The back gets the Monoprice standard plate amp with knobs for setting the crossover, phase, gain, and switches for auto on/off and THX mode/extended EQ. A pair of RCA inputs and XLR inputs ensure you can connect the Monolith M-210 and M-212 to anything you have. 

I have a love/hate relationship with Monolith subwoofers. On the one hand, they are among the best bang-for-your-buck subwoofers on the market. But Monoprice insists on using HDF in their “budget” subwoofers, which means that these beasts weigh a ton! All jokes aside, make sure you have a friend to move these 36″ x 18″ x 24” Monoliths around. You read that right. The enclosures are the same size. The differences in weight (162 lbs for the M-210 versus 174 lbs for the M-212) are all due to the increased driver sizes.

Under The Hood 

While these make look like a slightly updated version of their other subwoofers, Monoprice has done some rework on both the drivers and surrounds to bring high excursion and low distortion drivers that will allow these subwoofers to hit 16hz flat! 

Monoprice reworked the drivers in the Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certifed Ultra subwoofers to allow for thundering bass at high SPLs. This work includes lower suspension of the driver allowing for driver excursion that peaks at 90mm. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, trust me when I say that you are moving a significant volume of air with dual subs moving that far. 

Of course, to support that kind of movement, Monoprice had to beef up the woofer surrounds. They made the new surround from NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber). NBR ensures that the woofer will remain tight and punchy for years. 

Monoprice also changed the motor structure and cone venting and cooling in the Monolith M-210, and M-212 THX-Certified Ultra subwoofers. These changes allow the voice coil to remain cooler during prolonged use, reduce distortion, and hit harder than a sledgehammer. 

But what good are all these changes if you don’t have moar power? Don’t worry; Monoprice has you covered. Monoprice equipped the Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certifed Ultra subs with a 1000w (1800w peak) class D amplifier controlled by a 48bit Texas Instruments DSP. Yes, both subwoofers have the same amplifier. The larger driver size of the M-212 gives it about 3dB (or so) more output than the smaller M-210.  

Which Monolith Subwoofer is Right For You?

If you have a bad back, probably neither. These subwoofers are ridiculously heavy. Seriously, both carry the same THX certification level of Ultra. This means they can hit reference level (115dB peaks) in a room that is up to 3000 cubic feet. If your room is right at, or maybe a little bigger than 3000 cubic feet, you should probably get the M-212. If you are below that, get the M-210.

If you are just looking for a lot of bass while conserving floor space, the Monolith dual-driver subwoofers are a decent option. They are taller than anything else meaning that their footprint is two feet by a foot and a half. That’s not bad for the amount of output they are offering.

Our Take 

I think that Monoprice has done all the right things to make waves. They offer high-value, budget-minded subwoofers that out-perform more expensive subs in the same class. Their only real tradeoff at this time is their weight. We are also a little confused why they didn’t include a larger amp and enclosure with the M-212 to increase the output even more. Without that, there seems to be very little reason to pay the extra $600 for the M-212 over the M-210. 

The Monolith M-210 and M-212 THX-Certified Ultra subwoofers are designed for those who need a lot of sound in the same footprint as a single subwoofer. With plenty of power and the ability to hit hard and low, these might be the solution you need for your home theater. 

What do you think? Are these on your radar now? Let us know in the comments! 

Check out more information on the M-210 here and the M-212 here.